Be Holy … Be Clean … Seek Peace!

This is based on the third sermon in our series, Reading Christ in the Torah. The reflection is a study of the Book of Leviticus, which is the third book in the Torah. The Torah is a Hebrew name of the first 5 books we have in the Old Testament (Christian Bible).

Let’s begin with a summary of what we’ve learned in the books of Genesis and Exodus.

Here’s what we learned about Christ based on the book of Genesis:

Here’s what we learned about Christ in Exodus?

5 things that the book of Leviticus covers

What I would like you to remember about the book of Leviticus are only 3 major themes:

Be Holy …

Be holy as I the Lord is Holy is how God wants to be (Leviticus 11: 45). This has to do with three important things:

• Holiness has to do with worship. Here, we are talking about a place and a state of mind.
• Worship isn’t just what we do, but a gathering of God’s people. It also has to do with our state of mind. 
• Worship should aim at helping us deepen our personal relationship with God.
• Worship is also about offering. The sacrifice God expects us to give to Him is who we are in addition to what we have (Romans 12:1-2). 
• Holiness has to do with how we relate to People. 
• Holiness means being set aside and consecrated to worship God (love and serve God) unlike the other nations (society or culture). 

Be Clean …

• This implies your emotional and physical state of being.
• Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and that you don’t belong to yourself. You belong to God.
• Honor God with your entire being (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20).
• Also, keep in mind that whatever you do to yourself you do it to what belongs to God.

Seek Peace …

• Sin offering (Leviticus 16). This is the reason why Jesus came.
• God sent Him into the world to save the sinners. Instead, of an offering of animals, Jesus gave up His own life as the only sacrifice that’s pleasing to God. He did it for all humankind to save all of us from sin. This salvation means a restoration of our relationships with God and each other.
• Through faith in Jesus Christ, as our personal Lord and Savior, we are reconciled with God and one another (2 Corinthians 5: 18-19). 

Where do we read Christ in this book?

Chapter 16 is about the Day of Atonement, which points out to what Jesus came to do for us. Here’s a ritual the High Priest had to do only once a year. He would go into the Holy of holies for the annual sacrifice.

In order for the people to receive atonement of their sins, two goats were to be presented to God. Lots are cast to decide which goat will die and which one will go free.

Once, the goat has been sacrificed, the High Priest will lay his hands on the living goat. What he does is to take the sins and guilt of all the people and put them on this goat. Someone will take the goat far into the wilderness where it will be released.

The meaning of this ritual is that the people’s sins have been forgiven and sent away into the wilderness.

What does it mean to you and me?

God is concerned with who you are and how you should live. 

• Your Spiritual state. God wants you to be free from sin and the ability to worship God alone.
• Your Emotional state. God wants you to love of God and God’s people.
• Your Physical state. God wants you to care for your physical body because God wants to dwell in you. So, get enough rest. Eat what’s good for your body and get enough physical exercise. 

Jesus is our atonement.

• Both the sacrificial lamb and the escape goat.
• He makes us Holy through what He has done for us.
• He empowers us to live in a way that’s pleasing to God.

With Jesus living in you, you will be holy, clean and will be at peace with God and other people!

Click below to listen the audio sermon!